SCALE AND MUSTARD BEETLE 



215 



tion of the Gooseberry scale, Lecanium ribis, Fitch, which 

 has made such a headquarters here (I suppose set up when 

 I was too ill to look after it) that I think I must almost have 

 a chance of finding the desiderated male ! But except the 

 few lines by Dr. Signoret we do not seem to have a European 

 description. Locusts came over in imported vegetables and 

 fodder about a month ago, so that I secured three species, 

 but no more are arriving now. Mine and the grower's 

 chief investigation at present is as to finding measures to 

 check the attack of the Mustard beetle, Phcedon betulce, and 

 evil-doers of similar habits, and I am making a kind of link 

 in operations with Messrs. Colman and Messrs. Keen, our 

 two great rival mustard firms, and I greatly hope we shall 

 make some advance. 



Beetle, natural size and magnified ; maggot, magnified, and 

 natural size on leaf. 



FIG. 51. MUSTARD BEETLE, PH&DON BETULsE, LINN. 



One great worry is these (to my thinking) unqualified 

 so-called lecturers sent out by the County Councils. 



May 22, 1893. 



I only knew as a fact a very little while ago that Professor 

 Riley was standing for the post of " Hope Professor of 

 Zoology " at Oxford, vacant by the death of our grand old 

 friend Professor West wood. Mr. Hachett-Jackson (Professor 

 Westwood's assistant, I believe) wrote to me very urgently 

 from Keble College, and I responded most heartily, 

 mentioning everything I could think of that might assist 

 Professor Riley's election. It would have been a benefit to 

 myself past hoping for to have a really great Entomologist 

 like Professor Riley in a definite post over here. The 

 magician's rod would have beaten all kinds of underhand 

 misrepresentations, scientific and practical, out of the field. 



